News

White House renominates San Francisco lawyer to Bay Area federal judgeship

By Howard Mintz hmintz@mercurynews.com

Posted:
01/03/2013 12:18:16 PM PST

Updated:
01/03/2013 03:46:29 PM PST

President Barack Obama on Thursday renominated Justice Department lawyer William Orrick III to a San Francisco federal judgeship, a move widely expected after the Senate earlier this week failed to take a floor vote on his previous nomination.

Orrick was among dozens of judicial nominees renominated by the White House because the previous Congress failed to take action on their judgeships. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Orrick's nomination last August, and he has not encountered any organized opposition to confirmation.

But Orrick now will have to go through the Democrat-controlled committee one more time. A deputy attorney general for the past three years, Orrick is the son of the late San Francisco federal Judge William Orrick II.

Sen. Barbara Boxer recommended Orrick for a judgeship last year, along with Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jon Tigar. The Senate in December approved Tigar's judgeship on a voice vote.

Obama has two more Bay Area federal judgeships to fill in the coming term. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's search committee has already begun vetting candidates to replace former Chief Judge James Ware and San Jose U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel, now head of the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C.

Howard Mintz covers legal affairs. Contact him at 408-286-0236 or follow him at Twitter.com/hmintz.